UK:- In early February British news was dominated by HSBC, Lord Stephen Green and reports of HSBC tax avoidance on a grand scale bordering on tax evasion. HSBC is accused of helping wealthy tax dodgers cheat the UK out of millions of pounds in tax.

"The British banking giant [HSBC] provided accounts to international criminals, corrupt businessmen, politicians and celebrities, secret files analysed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) show."

Monday a series of high profile HSBC executives have been appearing before the Public Accounts Committee in the UK which is chaired by Labour's Margaret Hodge, and viewing was uncomfortable, entertaining and likely to cause anger.

The committee is trying to get to grips with just who at HSBC knew about the bank's failings and who was involved.

One after another appeared before the committee, squirmed, claimed no knowledge and tried to hang on to their highly paid job.

Rona Fairhead, 53, who sat on HSBC's board during a period of time when the bank is accused of advising people on tax avoidance heard Hodge tell her she should resign from her BBC post.

Ultimately Monday Hodge went a step further and said the UK government should sack Fairhead from post as her record at HSBC puts her current BBC role into question.

In August 2014 Culture SecretarySajid Javid, Conservative, recommended Fairhead as the preferred candidate for the chairmanship of the BBC Trust and in October she took up post; previously she was chair of HSBC's audit committee, running its risk assessment committee.

But Fairhead has been paid for work from both HSBC and the BBC and is accused of a conflict of interest including when it came to the reporting of the HSBC scandal.

It is doubtful that if she knew what was going on at HSBC she was alone.

"Chris Meares, the ex-head of HSBC's private banking division, said he didn't know what staff "were up to"" but that did not wash with Ms Hodge who said "Either you're completely incompetent in your oversight duties or you knew about it."

Those before the committee Monday tried to lay the blame anywhere but with themselves. Fairhead tried to blame local HSBC managers in Switzerland.

In early March it was revealed that Fairhead received £513,000 from HSBC in 2014. As the Guardian reports "The remuneration includes £334,000 for being non-executive chair of HSBC North America Holding and a further £19,000 of benefits, including travel expenses for attending meetings. She also owns about £436,000 worth of shares in the bank."

All of this while she is paid £110,000 from the taxpayer funded, and cash-strapped BBC.

A week ago she was questioned by MPs from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and it was revealed she worked for the bank in a variety of roles including as a non-executive director, earning hundreds of thousands of pounds in the process.

Accused of a conflict of interest Fairhead must surely be toast?

With criticism over the sale of the BBC's former Television House studios in West London to a consortium Fairhead is under attack from all sides.

In a Guardian report in September 2014 it was noted her husband Tom is a private equity boss who served as a Tory councillor for 16 years and that the couple are "friendly" with George and Frances Osborne!

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